Deep-fat cooker



Parentall a.' 24, 1939 UNITED `sTATiazs PATENT OFFICE.4

DEEP-FAT COOKER George 'W. Watts, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application August 11, 1938, Serial No. 224,243

4 Claims.

This invention relates to deep-fat cookers or "'fryers and has for a primary' object the prevention of the intermixing of crumbs and settlings with the major part of the fat within which the 5 cooking is accomplished. l

A further primary object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple structure for .the purpose above indicated and one which will have a high degree Vof safety in preventing the boiling l0 over of fat in the presence of a gas or open flame.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the unique simplicity of the structure as well as the convenience in removing settlings.

These and other objects andadvantages of the invention will become apparent to thosel verseli in the art in the following description of one particular form of the inventionas illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- 'B0 Fig. 1 is a, front elevation oi a structure embodying the invention;

. Fig. 2, an end eieyation;

Fig. 3,l a rear elevation; Fig. 4, av tp plan view; and Fig2. 5, a vertical section on the line 5 5 in Fig.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings..

I form a suitable base I0 herein. shown as a 48 0 simple box-like structure open on the top and bottom sides and preferably4 made out of metal. As indicated in the drawings, the base I0 is preferably provided with cutaway portions Il on at least two opposite sides, herein shown l5- On the front and back sides.

` Carried by the base I0 are a desired Anumber of heating elements of any suitable type'such as electrical units or gas burners, gas burners being herein shown and being two in number as designated by the numerals I2 and I3. -These heating units I2 and I3 are carried to extendacross the base I0 from one side to the other, herein shown as from the front to the rear side. With the employment of the gas burners, a suitable gas supply pipe I4 is carried across the front f the base N and there supported to have each of the burners I2 and I3 extend'from suitable control valves I5 and I6 respectively. In order to provide a suicient amount of air to support to combustion about the burners the base lo 1s provided with air admittance holes or windows I1 'and Il on the front side and .the rear holes or windows Il and 20.

A tank 2l is formed out of metalin any suitableV qs manner such as by casting and is so proportioned as being Jin ior'oking materials as desired..

as to have the base part t within the base I Il and be supported thereby in any suitable manner Asuch as by a rib 22 extending around the tank- 2|. The base portion of the tank 2-I is formed to have a leg extend down within the base' IIJ 5 on each side of the respective burners. In the form herein shown, Fig. 5, there is a central leg 23 and the two outer legs 2l and 25. The cen. tral leg has a slightly thicker section than the section of either of the legs 24 and 25. The 10 depth of these legs is important in that it should be suilicient to retain the fat or oil in the extreme lower vparts thereof suiiiciently removed from the burners I2 and I3 as to prevent any undue heat ing or at lea'stthat amount of heating as would 15 normallyset up convection currents. These legs extend in a fore and aft manner so that they will straddle the burners when the tank is positioned on its base I0. v Preferably each leg carries the baskets 26, 21 and 28, respectively, which are 2o made of a ne mesh wire so as to retain the crumbs or sediment dropping into the legs from the materials being cooked in the mass 4of fat thereabove. By simply lifting out the respective basket,this sedimentary matter is carried out of 25 thefat without being mixed therewith.

Moreover the main mass of fat is heated by the burners I2 and I3 without in any material way aecting the temperature of the fat remaining in the respective legs below the burners.' 30 This differential intemperature also aids in the quick precipitation of the crumbs and this is an important factor in maintaining the fat in a good', usableconditlon free of odors, taste, and particularly helping to prevent the fat from be- 35v coming rancid.

The tank 2I is provided with a plurality of holes 23 on each side. 'Ihese holes have two important functions. One function is to provide openings to'permit the lingers of the operator to 40 gn'p the tank 2I when it is to be removed from its base. The other function is to provide overilowA means at a level lower than the front and back edges so that, in the event the fat is overheated, or somev moisture gets into the fat, the 45A overflowing oil will goout the sides of the tank and run downl over the base and thus be kept away from the burners I2 and I3. `An overflow on eitherthe front or back sides of the tank would permit the'fat to be ignited from the heat 50 escaping from the ends of the openings I'LIB or I3, 20. I.

The lupper partof. the tank 2| is left clear so that the usual baskets 30 may be immersed there- As indicated by the drawings, the heating elements l2 and I3 are positioned to be in the upper parts of the tunnels between the respective legs and inl this manner, there is the greatest possible utilization of heat from those elements since there is -an increased radiation surface obtained by reason of the crowned `parts 3l and 32 which form the bottom of the tank 2l between the respective legs, v

While I" have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is entirely obvious that structural changes such as diierent types of heating elements, different forms of bases, and the like, may be employed without departing from the'spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim: v

1. In a deep-fat cooker, a fat containing tank, a plurality oi legs extending from the tank to form a tunnelbetween adjacent legs, and a heating element in each tunnel, each of said` legs having its lower end spaced and disconnected as to fat conductorsl from an adjacent leg and of suileient depth as to prevent any appreciable heating-of fatTin the lower ends, whereby said ends are substantially free from currents in the fat and thereby afford settling basins, a base supporting said tank, and means on the base supporting said heating element, wherebylsaid tank may be lifted from the base independently of said element, said base having vents on zippo?A site sides, and said tank having overiiow meansI on its sides presented on closed sides of the base. 2. In a. deep-fat cooker, a fat containingtank,

a plurality of legs extending from the tanky to form a tunnel between adjacent legs, Aand a heating element in each tunnel, each of said legs having its lower end spaced and disconnected as to fat conductors from an adjacent leg and ofsuilicient depth asto. prevent any appreciable heating) of fat in the lower ends, whereby said ends are substantially free from currents in the fat and thereby aord settling basins, a. base supporting said tank, and means on the base supporting said heating element, whereby 4said tank may be lifted from the base independently of said element, and foraminated baskets closely iitted in said legs.

. 3. In a deep-fat cooker, a fat container tank, a plurality of legs extending downwardly from the tank to form a tunnel betweeneach pair of adjacent legs, each leg consisting of an independent chamber opening only by its top side into said tank, heating means in the tunnels, a base into which said tank telescopes at least far enough to carry said legs into the base, and said base having walls'extending across the ends of said tunnels. v

4. In a deep-fat cooker, a fat container tank, a plurality of legs extending downwardly from lthe tank to form a tunnel between each pair of adjacent legs, each leg consisting of an independent chamberopening only, by its top side into said tank4 heating means in the tunnels, a base into which said tank telescopes at least far enough to carry said legs into the base, and said base having walls extending across the ends of said tunnels, and windows at the upper portions of the tunnels, and said base further having openings in its waliat the bottom of the tunnels.

GEORGE W. WATTS. 

